William f



(No Model.)

W. P. STARK.

GOUPON CLIPPER.

No. 284,773. Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM F. STARK, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

COUPON-CLIPPER.-

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,773, dated September 11, 1883.

( Application filed December 1;), 1882. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. STARK, of

the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in 5 Coupon-Clippers, of which the following is a ,full and complete description, reference being 7 had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification.

My invention relates to that class of tools 10 which are intended to detach small rectangular slips of paper from a large stub-sheet of paper such, for instance, as tickets, coupons,

820.; and its object is to permit the detaching of such small slipsat one clip, even if fast to .2 5 sides, the operation being, in principle, the

same as that of the blades in the tool described below.

Figure 1 represents a plan of the tool in the act of cutting; Fig. 2, an end View; Fig. 3, a side view from theleft of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a side view from the right of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 a section through the lower plate of the tool on line X X.

The tool is composed of two plates, A and 3 5 B, hinged scissor-fashion on a pin, 0, with suitable handles, a and I). The lower plate, B, is solid, and the upper plate, A, is cast or shaped open, for thepurpose of lightening it, and alsoof giving a View of the paper as it 0 lies between the plates. The plates A and B. each carry two blades. The side or shearing blades, D, on the plate A, and E on the plate B, move in a plane parallel with the plane of motion of the handles a and b-in other words,

they shear one over the other; and the trans very large amount.

latter blades, F and G, is therefore properly a clipping action, for although I find it advantageous tov grind the edges of the bladesF and G at'an angle with each other, so as to make the cutting gradual and easier, the motion of the two blades is parallel, and there is no angular variation of the opening of the blades, as there would be if they were hinged on a center perpendicular to their plane of motion. It is therefore evident, without any further explanation of the cutting action of the tool, that it combines the action of a pair of shearing-blades, D and E, with that of a pair of clipping-blades, F and G, but I desire to call attention to some special features, which are very essential. In the first place,the handles are placed opposite the middle of the transverse or clipping blades F and G,'whereby the shearing-blades D and E, instead of working in the line of the handles, as in an ordinary pair of shears, are offset, and thereby a balanced tool is produced, which rides easier inthe hand of the operator and gives him better control of the transverse blades, so that the coupons may be clipped off perfectly square.

I am aware that a tool might be designed in the shape of an ordinary pair of shears, with the tips of the blades bent over at right angles, so as to out two edges in the manner described; but besides the difficulties in accurately fitting a tool of that kind, there is to it the. great objection that it is unbalanced and has a tendency to tip over in the hands of the operator. Again, there is in such a tool no possibility of guiding the coupon in the blades, so that it will be clipped off perfectly square, and the slightest deviation of the shearingblades will throw the transverse blades out a I therefore hereby disclaim the use of an ordinary pair of shears with the blades bent over at right angle, and

'I confine myself to a tool in which, as stated inner face thereof, are two pins, 1) and p, which, when the tool closes, penetrate suitable holes in the lower plate, B, thereby punching the coupon which is being clipped, and as the plates are opened again the coupon is carried up with the upper plate and remains secure under the lower side thereof. This is a great advantage, especially in cutting coupons off a series of bonds which it is desired to keep together after they are clipped. The operator need not stop to pick up the several coupons as they are cut ofl, and has only to take them all at once off the pins when he has done clipping. Besides, all danger of losing or mislaying coupons is thus avoided. In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the lower plate, B, in the shape of an auxiliary plate, B,which rests on springs 011 the bed B. This plate B is illtended to be raised a little distance by the force of the springs when the tool is being opened and press the coupons on the pins, thereby in-. snring their hold on the coupons; and, again, when the blades close together, the upper plate pushes the auxiliary plate B down, and when the clipping takes place it is down out of the way, solid on the plate B, and practically forms part thereof. This device is not necessary to the proper working of the clipper, but may be in some cases desirable.

Another feature of my coupon-clipper is the guiding of the paper, so as to cut the coupons perfectly square and exactly of the size re quired. It is evident that as far as the width of the coupon is concerned, it may be accurately gaged by the eye, as there is generally some line or other mark printed on the stub showing where to start the shearing-blades D and E 5 but the transverse cut might be taken either too high or too low, and to guard against this I provide on the lower plate, B, a stop or guide, g,-in the shape of a strip of metal, the outer face of which stands perpendicular to the plate B, and which may be moved closer to or farther away from the transverse blades F and G, at the same time always remaining parallel therewith. To secure this motion of the guide it has a square block, f, fastened on its lower side, Fig. 5, which may slide in a square slot provided in the plate B. The block f carries a screw projecting under the plate B, so that the guide 9 may be moved and secured at any required distance from the transverse blades F and G by means of a suitable nut and washer. The blades are made large enough to cut the largest size of coupon met with, and when cutting a smaller size the width, asin all cases, is

governed by the eye; but the guide 9 may be set for any required depth. It will be noticed, too, that,in addition to regulating the depth of cut,the guide 9 also insures a perfectly-square cut. The guide being parallel with the transverse blades and perpendicular to the shearingblades, it follows that if the lower edge of the coupon to be clipped is held against this guide 9 the cuts taken by the machine are bound to be respectively parallel with and perpendicular to the lower edge of the coupon. In other words, the latter is bound to be perfectly rectangular in shape.

The blades on the lower plate, B, may be dispensed with, and instead the plate itself, if made of suitable material, may be shaped so as to carry a cutting-edge. This disposition,which simplifies and cheapens somewhat the construction of the-t0ol, is shown in Fig. 5.

5 I do not desire to limit myself to the use of 7 handles such as those shown in the drawings. Any form or shape of handles may be used, or a compound leverage introduced. A frame or stand might even be used,with one lever moving the upper plate, with the other plate sta tionary on the stand. By this I do not mean to use a punch, but to preserve the combined shearing and clipping action described, which could be done by hinging the upper or movable plate on a suitable center.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coupon-clipper constructed as above, the carrier-pins p and 19, secured to the upper plate, A, and projecting into suitable holes in the lower plate, B, when the clipper is closed, for the purpose of holdingthe coupons in place while and after theyare clipped ofi', substantially as above specified.

2. In a coupon-clipper, the sliding rest or guide g, adjustable on the lower plate, B, and parallel with the transverse blades, for the don ble purpose of regulating the depth and insuring the proper direction of the cut, substantially as above specified.

3. Ina coupon-clipper, the auxiliary springplate B, fastened over the plate B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of December, 1882.

V. F. STARK.

Vitnesses:

F. J. HEBRON, E. M. HUG-ENTOBLER. 

